In many enterprise print shop environments, the demand (or job load) on the print shop can be reasonably predictable when averaged over a period of time. For example, the demand for any given month may be very similar to that of the previous month. However, even in print shops where the demand is predictable when averaged over a time period, the demand at specific times within the time period may be highly variable. In addition, even relatively predictable print shops often will experience time periods in which the actual demand is significantly higher or lower than the expected demand.
Due to the variability in job demand, an enterprise must maintain a certain level of inventory, such as ink, paper and the like, in anticipation of the jobs that the enterprise may receive. In addition, a print shop must maintain a certain level of equipment and staffing to satisfy the expected demand. If the demand exceeds the inventory or available resources, the print shop may not be able to satisfy the demand. If the demand drops below expected levels, the print shop may lose revenues by paying for resources that it does not need.
This document describes a method and systems for reducing variations in the load of a print shop.